Drug and Alcohol Addiction (35)

Children who have dealt with maltreatment and abuse who serious changes in vital areas of the brain. These changes have been linked with schizophrenia, PTSD, depression, and drug addiction. Abuse during childhood massively increases the risk of victims turning to drugs and alcohol. They may have experienced verbal or emotional abuse, separation or discord with their parents, emotional or physical neglect, or abuse of a physical or sexual nature. Brain scans offer evidence of trauma, even if they had not been diagnosed with a particular disorder.

In the United States there is a strong link between youth foster care placement and substance abuse. Substance abuse is a contributing factor in approximately 75 percent of all foster care placements, often playing a key role in child neglect or abuse. According to The Center of Applied Research Solutions, alcohol and drug addiction affects 40 to 80 percent of all families in the child welfare system. Additionally, 34 percent of youth in foster care abuse drugs or alcohol, 12 percent higher than youth not in foster care.

Addiction or getting really used to anything is bad, especially drug addiction is considered very harmful and it destroys the person completely. It may even lead to loss of oneâs life. Addiction especially drug addiction is a hazard, but in the modernized world one may find a number of solutions to such a difficult problem.

When should you start being concerned about you or your loved ones drinking and alcohol abuse? This article uncovers some of the signs, consequences and steps to take when alcohol and abuse become a concern.

Did you know that around the world alcohol and abuse is related to over 2 million deaths a year? With over 11,000 recovery centers in the U.S. alone alcohol and abuse is not going away. In this article we explore some of the common myths around this ever so important topic.

Living fearless was something I always dreamed of. While that might not be entirely possible I have learned how to live fear less. And that has been something great.

I have, for most of my life, wanted to be fearless. Since I was very young I felt like I experienced more than my share of fear. What caused this I cannot say. Whether it was an anomaly from birth, a neurological misfiring, a spiritual malady or a mix of all of these I won't ever know. This is what I do know, I have always been aware of it, and I have always wanted it gone. Disappear fear! Growing up I felt isolated, especially from other men, all of the time assuming they did not share my experiences. I was wrong. Now I have an idea why.

Author Dan Griffin explores the connections between trauma, violence and addiction and asks what a trauma-informed curriculum can offer men in recovery.

Most of the men Iâve talked to over the years in the journey through recovery can identify some point in their lives when they realized it was not okay to express certain feelings or behaviors, especially if those feelings showed weakness, vulnerability or sensitivity. Crying above all was strictly discouraged.

Learning how to communicate is one of many challenges faced by men in recovery. Author Dan Griffin explores two big questions that form the foundation for both recovery and communication.

It goes without saying that choosing to enter treatment or a Twelve Step program presents a unique set of challenges. One that many people do not anticipate is the experience of entering a culture in which people communicate. For men especially, this can be an unfamiliar and uncomfortable experience. But this is also the beginning of the most rewarding journey they will ever take: a manâs journey through the Twelve Steps.

In response to all the media hype that surrounded Charlie Sheen's very public struggle, author Dan Griffin offers insight into what this struggle can teach us about men's ability to overcome personal problems.

Watching the recent interviews with Charlie Sheen have left me with many conflicted emotions. More than anything: But for the Grace of God there go I.

I also feel sadness, disgust, and pity. I feel as though I am part of the problem â watching the interviews and ogling over the incredibly devastating car wreck unfolding before us. He doesnât need people taking pictures of him in the car in flames, he needs help. And few of the media exploits in the past week have been focused on that. Because our society sure loves its disasters! His struggles with drug addiction, gambling, and other unhealthy behaviors are legendary. We have been watching an addict kill himself slowly for two decades. And the media and his employers (aka CBS and Warner Bros.) have been great enablers for years.

It is well-known that trauma and addiction are closely linked. Years of clinical research have demonstrated that many individuals who struggle with addiction report exposure to trauma during the course of their lives. It is not uncommon for those dealing with addictions to have experienced any of the following: prolonged physical, emotional or sexual abuse during childhood, adolescence and/or adulthood; profound neglect; long-term exposure to violence, war or terrorism; and the chronic long-term health problems associated with these things.

Even though the link between addiction and trauma is well known and well documented, the use of trauma-informed curricula in addiction recovery is relatively new to the field. But ongoing studies -- as well as the recent availability of reliable, evidence-based curricula for men and women -- are showing that this approach to addiction recovery has wide-ranging benefits.

Are your behaviors and the beliefs that you maintain reflective of the man you want to be in recovery from addiction? Are they what the people in your life truly want to experience from you? Whatever your answer, know that you will experience the consequences â good and bad â no matter what.

I have spent the past decade and half looking at the issues of gender and recovery from addiction. During that time I have arrived at some conclusions, probably not all the original, but compelling nonetheless. In essence, during the process of recovery from addiction something happens to us as men and women that changes how we express ourselves at the core of our identity: our gender.